Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Napa Valley: Lovely Lunch at Redd

My college roommate and fellow foodie Emily suggested going to Napa Valley for lunch on Friday while I was in SF and so kindly took the day off work to play with me. She suggested Redd and I was so pleased with our meal.

The restaurant has a simple but interesting decor. I especially liked the look of wood on the floors and ceilings.

Caramelized Diver Scallops with Cauliflower Puree, Almonds, Balsamic Reduction, appetizer portion: $14. Such a stunning dish. The scallops were perfectly cooked and had just the right texture to them. The cauliflower puree and balsamic reduction were also done very well and wonderful complements to the scallops.

Glazed Pork Belly with apple puree, burdock, soy caramel, $13. There were such great reviews of this on Yelp, but we were both disappointed by it. It tasted a bit too salty to me, and it didn't stand out against the other pork belly dishes served at standard Chinese restaurants.

Crisp Duck Confit with lentils, foie gras meatballs, crispy spaetzle, $24. The texture of the duck was definitely comparable to carnitas; so amazingly tender and flavorful. I also liked how the meat was served without the bone. It made the dish very easy to split and eat. I couldn't really taste the foie gras in the meatballs, but I was so pleased with the duck that it didn't matter too much.